1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a light emitting device that is used as, e.g., a backlight for an LCD (=liquid crystal display) device or push buttons of a cellar phone. This invention also relates to an LCD backlighting device using the light emitting device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An LCD backlighting device is known which is composed of multiple light sources (=light emitting devices) and a light guide plate which is disposed near the light sources to allow light emitted from the light sources to be uniformly guided to a LCD panel. For example, the backlighting device is constructed such that silicone resin is filled at the interface between a light emitting device with an LED (=light emitting diode) element and a light guiding portion of a light guide plate in order not to form an air layer at the interface (See JP-A-2003-234008, paragraphs [0010]-[0013] and [0019] and FIGS. 1-2). In this construction, because of forming no air layer at the interface, reflection at the interface can be reduced to efficiently guide light from the LED element into the light guide plate.
However, in the conventional LCD backlighting device, an LED package (=light emitting device) thereof is structured such that a cone-shaped reflector has a sidewall protruding from the mount surface of the LED element. Therefore, the output angle of light from the LED element is restricted to narrow the light distribution range of each light emitting device. If the interval of the multiple light emitting devices is enlarged to reduce the number of the LED elements used, a portion with reduced brightness may be produced between the light emitting devices to cause a problem on unevenness in brightness.
Furthermore, the conventional LCD backlighting device needs to be produced such that a sealing portion is formed by filling a sealing resin into the cone-shaped reflector and then the silicone resin is filled between the light guide plate and the sealing portion (i.e., into the interface therebetween). Thus, the productivity and workability thereof lowers.